Waxes and polishes have been used for at least several hundred years for waxing and polishing surfaces such as floors, windows, furniture, and vehicle surfaces. Originally, most waxes were paste waxes which required that the surface first be cleaned of all dirt and oxidation. The wax is then applied by hand or with a buffering-like device to rub the wax into the surface. The rubbing or buffing can cause swirling on the surface. The wax is allowed to dry and then it is rubbed or buffed off the surface. Preferably, the waxing is done on a clean, cool surface and not in direct sunlight. This application process is still used to some extent and is very labor-intensive and requires physical strength either to rub the wax on and buff it off, either by hand or with a mechanical buffing machine.
In the 1950's, liquid waxes became available. Liquid waxes are easier to apply than paste wax since they can be poured onto an applicator, such as a cloth, sponge, reinforced paper, or other type of applicator, and then rubbed or buffed onto the surface. The rubbing can leave swirling on the surface. The wax is allowed to dry and then it is rubbed or buffed off. Liquid waxes are similarly applied. The liquid waxes are preferably applied to a clean, cool surface and the waxing is not done in direct sunlight. In the 1970's, spray devices became available and waxes and polishes were developed that could be sprayed onto the surface. One type of device was the finger trigger sprayer commonly used for household cleaners and the like. The sprayer has a pump actuated by the finger which draws fluid up from a reservoir and sprays the fluid out of a nozzle. Waxes and polishes applied by this method have many of the characteristics of liquid wax and polish. These types of applicators have not been very popular because the sprayers only spray a limited amount of fluid for each finger pull of the sprayer and accordingly, it takes time to spray large surface areas such as a car, airplane, or other large vehicle. In addition, it is very tiring and can be painful to actuate the finger trigger sprayer for long periods of time. The wax or polish is preferably applied to a clean, cool surface and not in direct sunlight. Once the wax is sprayed on the surface, it is rubbed onto the surface to cover the surface and allowed to dry. The rubbing can leave swirls on the surface. After it is dried, it is rubbed off or buffed off, as with paste wax and liquid wax. Polishes normally do not have to be buffed.
A recent variation of the liquid wax is the wipe-on and hose-off wax. This wax is sprayed on the surface and rubbed in, or poured onto an applicator or directly onto the surface and rubbed into the surface. The rubbing can leave swirls on the surface. Once the wax is dry, it is hosed off with a water spray from a garden hose. Following removal of the wax with the hose spray, the vehicle has to be dried off. With this method of waxing, the hosing-off step does not guarantee that all the wax residue will be removed from the vehicle. It has been found that the user of the wax normally has to go back over the vehicle with a water spray after drying it to remove residual wax and then dry the surface again.
When applied to a hot surface, wax normally forms a hard coating or scum that adheres to the surface. Frequently, this coating or scum cannot be removed by rubbing or buffing. Frequently, these areas have to be removed by re-waxing, letting the application of fresh wax dry, then rubbing or buffing off the applied wax. It is for this reason that waxing, such as an automobile or other vehicle surface, is not done on a hot surface or under the sun.
The demarcation between a wax and polish is not a bright line. For purposes of this invention, the term "wax" will include both wax and polish.